Materia Shards
by Kiraya
Summary: A collection of 100- and 200-word Final Fantasy VII drabbles. Characters and pairings vary; spoilers abound.
1. Hantou no Higashi

**HANTOU NO HIGASHI **by Kiraya  
**  
****Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

--

He was beautiful, there on the eastern beach wearing only his pants as he and Masamune moved fluidly through a series of exercises more like a dance than kata. His face was full of a serenity that looked out of place on him, war or no.

Zack swallowed hard, staring, his mission forgotten. The light of the rising sun shone on the General's blade as he finished, and, finally noticing Zack, he assumed his usual coolness. "Report."

Zack did without preamble, but he swore to himself he'd do whatever it took to make the General loosen up like that more.

Sephiroth needed it.

--

14 December 2006.


	2. Lux Aeterna

**LUX AETERNA **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

--

It wasn't supposed to end this way.

Nibelheim was supposed to be a routine mission, and then they'd go home and Cloud would try out for SOLDIER again, and Zack would properly introduce him to Seph so the General could make another friend (because Cloud wasn't like the others, he could tell). He'd dared hope someday they'd escape ShinRa, get a place of their own somewhere, and he and Aerith and Cloud could've shown Seph how good it was to be surrounded by people who really cared.

But then the soft everglow of Seph's eyes went hard, hateful, and—

So much for dreams.

--

15 December 2006.


	3. Into Dust

**INTO DUST **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

--

_He stumbled, falling to one knee as he carefully lay Cloud down. "I'll be right back," he said breathlessly, the touch of his hand against Cloud's forehead tender before he ran to mislead their pursuers._

_Cloud tried to get up, to help, but could only watch helplessly as they shot his saviour full of enough bullets to put down a behemoth._

_Cloud let out a low moan, struggling to move over to him as the ShinRa left — "He'll be dead soon enough" — and by some miracle he made it to the body before the last of that glow left his indigo eyes._

_He died with the beginnings of a wistful smile on his face, and that was when the rain started._

It was a long time before Cloud came back, putting up a memorial marking the place where his best friend had died. He stood a while in silence, unsure of himself.

"I—" he began, and choked up as the memories suddenly replayed everything in perfect clarity — Zack's smile, his laughter, his touch…

And the dust, the only physical remnant of him, blew in little eddies around Cloud's boots, softly covering the offering of dewy flowers once grown by someone they'd both loved.

--

16 December 2006.


	4. November Rain

**NOVEMBER RAIN **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

--

Cloud was doing it again, standing out there in the rain. Tifa didn't bother shouting his name anymore, but she still couldn't stop herself from coming out to stand beside him, following his gaze heavenwards.

Nothing was there. Never was.

She took his hand, and he laced their fingers together, but he hadn't looked at her once, eyes still focused skywards, face intent as if listening to something only he could hear. Once, he even smiled.

She rubbed her thumb over his hand until the cold November rain had completely soaked them, then quietly suggested they go inside.

He nodded soberly.

She sighed to herself.

--

17 December 2006.


	5. The Outsider

**THE OUTSIDER **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

--

He hadn't really been thinking when he burst screaming into the lab, full of rage, but this was the final straw. Lucrecia had been looking worse and worse since her labour, but Hojo had ignored her (_merely mild post-partum depression,_ he said dismissively) in favour of her baby (which she had never held, never nursed, never had a chance to mother), and now she was—

_Don't you __**care**__ about what happens to her? She's your— your fucking __**wife**__, but you'd rather devote your time to corrupting an innocent, unknowing child in the name of your precious fucking __**science**__—_

Hojo looked up from the squirming infant and glared, clearly annoyed at the interruption.

"Are you quite finished?" he inquired when Vincent paused for breath, sneering as he drew—

—_the bright white lights of the lab gleamed on the silencer_—

Time restarted, and he lay bleeding on the cold floor and thought it was funny how they never trained you for this.

"Aah-aah-aah," Lucrecia's son announced gravely, and Vincent imagined if it weren't so dark he'd see the baby sticking his fist in his mouth and watching them with that unnerving cat-eyed gaze.

"Suicidal imbecile, that's right," Hojo agreed placidly. "I'm sure he could still be useful, though…"

Sephiroth burbled.

--

18 December 2006.


	6. Sex Hat Keine Macht

**SEX HAT KEINE MACHT **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Warnings**: Heavily implied male/male/male sex.

--

Cloud couldn't quite tell if those strange vivid dream-sequences were memories or long-buried fantasies, but they were always hot, and his sweat stung his eyes as they wore him ragged, sword-callused hands insistent as their caresses awakened a side of him he never knew existed, one that eagerly responded in kind.

_Don't stop,_ groaned the one with the voice like black velvet, arching into his bold touches; _so good_, gasped the one with the voice like quicksilver, his silken hair pouring over Cloud's bare shoulder as strong hands grasped his hips possessively, and all he could do was hold on for dear life.

_Sex has no power,_ some said, but Cloud knew they lied. A lover's touch could change a man into something in which he barely recognised himself, and it was as easy to lose himself in the pleasure as it was to lose oneself to the Lifestream.

_Beautiful,_ whispered the quicksilver-voiced one in the warm sticky exhaustion of the afterglow, and he'd nuzzle at the nape of Cloud's neck. _Thank you,_ Cloud breathed, and the velvet-voiced one would tenderly press his lips to Cloud's temple.

_Of course._

--

"You been sleeping all right?" Tifa asked at breakfast. "You seem tired lately."

Cloud shrugged. "I'm fine."

--

15 February 2007.


	7. Subliminal Messages

**SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Notes**: Written for ffvii100 on InsaneJournal. Prompt: Clichés (Cliché #21 – Aeris's Corollary).

--

Every night while Aeris slept, she'd dream of… staffs. Sturdy sticks she'd use to knock muggers upside the head, or sweep people's legs out from under them, or — in some of the weirder ones — use even to beat up dragons and sahagin and something strange and sinister that made her skin crawl. And these strange dreams grew increasingly common, until she could hardly close her eyes without seeing polearms.

"Y'know," she finally snapped one morning, "you _could've_ just _said_ something if you wanted me to so badly!"

Elmyra blinked.

Thus ended Aeris's knives practice.

--

10 June 2008.


	8. Transfer of Ownership

**TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Notes**: Written for ffvii100 on InsaneJournal during Past Prompts week. Prompt: Clichés (Cliché #70 – Sixth Law of Travel).

--

"Did you _see_ that _airship_?" Yuffie gushed once they'd finally landed in Costa del Sol and her stomach had settled enough for her to be sure of what'd come out her mouth.

"Back in Junon?" Aeris nodded, smiling. "I wonder what it'd be like to fly in something like that…"

"Awful," Yuffie said, shuddering. "But still — maaaan, that'd probably be the biggest heist _ever_. Shinra'd have a _fit!_" Grinning broadly, she called, "Hey, Cloud—"

"No," came the immediate reply.

"_Fine_." She stomped her foot. "Just wait — we'll get it someday, with or without you!"

--

20 June 2008.


	9. Lucky Break

**LUCKY BREAK **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Notes**: Written for ffvii100 on InsaneJournal during Past Prompts week. Prompt: Clichés (Cliché #55 – Houdini's Postulate).

--

All of them, stuck here in Shinra holding cells. Oh, this'd end _real_ well.

_It's quiet now…_

_Wake up._

Cloud's eyes snapped open. A frown. "The door's open… When did it open?"

Check outside. Dead guard at the end of the hallway. Definitely something fishy going on.

When he woke her, Tifa reacted similarly, so he knew it was real this time.

_Don't question a perfectly good escape opportunity, now._

Cloud nodded absently. "He should have the key on him… There." He straightened. "Come on, get Aeris. I'll go help Barret and Red XIII."

--

20 June 2008.


	10. Sixth Sense

**SIXTH SENSE **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Notes**: Written for ffvii100 on InsaneJournal during Past Prompts week. Prompt: Aerith/Aeris.

--

She knew he was there, felt it in the warning tingle between her shoulders, the knot of unease in her stomach. She did her best to ignore him, praying with all her heart and soul to Gaea for him, for Cloud, for everyone. _Please..._

Sephiroth waited, silent as he watched her from above like some angel of death. And she knew he wouldn't act until the others came, so she prayed even harder.

After all, she knew, clear as if she could see them hiking through the Sleeping Forest towards this forgotten city, that she didn't have much time left.

--

23 June 2008.


	11. Wishful Thinking

**WISHFUL THINKING **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Notes**: Written for ffvii100 on InsaneJournal during Past Prompts week. Prompt: Aerith/Aeris.

--

She paused, looking back towards the bathroom where Tifa showered. Part of her wanted to invite the fighter along; they were very close, and she knew she too liked Cloud, and maybe…

Yeah, maybe it wouldn't be awkward, three people on a date. And maybe Sephiroth would suddenly show up apologizing for his wrongs, and Zack would come strolling around the corner laughing off his disappearance like it was nothing.

Aeris left, firmly shutting the door. Tonight was for her and Cloud, but… maybe someday she could take Tifa out for a night in the Gold Saucer.

Next time.

--

23 June 2008.


	12. Mission

**MISSION **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Notes**: Written for ffvii100 on InsaneJournal during Past Prompts week. Prompt: Aerith/Aeris. Draws from Crisis Core canon.

--

Cissnei hadn't been surprised to get this assignment. Every Turk did it some time, tailing the Ancient until Tseng stepped in.

She _hadn't_ expected Aeris coming up to her asking for an introduction, saying that if they were going to stalk her she at least liked to meet her stalkers. But she was a pretty woman with a sweet smile, and they easily slipped into camaraderie as they shared stories and compared notes on Zack.

"He's not coming back, is he," Aeris said suddenly, her voice even but sad, and really, what could Cissnei say to that?

--

23 June 2008.


	13. Serenity

**SERENITY **by Kiraya  
**  
D****isclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII and all associated symbols and characters are the exclusive property of Square Enix and their associates.

**Notes**: Written for ffvii100 on InsaneJournal during Past Prompts week. Prompt: Aerith/Aeris.

--

When Aeris wasn't gardening, she loved to lie among the flowers, eyes closed, smiling as the greenery around her and the earth beneath her soothed her spirit. And it was even better when she had a companion to share that with.

When that vaguely-familiar blond fell through her roof, she checked to make sure he was still alive… then lay beside him among the flowers, slipping her hand into his unresisting one with a small sigh.

He wouldn't be waking up too soon, so maybe she could pretend she was with Zack again… just for a little while.

--

23 June 2008.


End file.
